Relaxing with some piragüismo!

During our last full weekend in Madrid, we got the opportunity to go kayaking! We packed our bags, left early in the morning on a private bus, and made our way out to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about an hour away. As we traveled, the city scenes faded away, and we found ourselves in the middle of the countryside. What a change of scenery!

Once we arrived, we put on our life vests, buddied up to get into kayaks and learned the most efficient way to paddle. We then made a half hour trek across the lake to a small beach that can only be accessed by water routes. Some of us realized we were kayak speedsters, and some of us got very good at turning (which may or may not have been because we kept going sideways by accident...), but all of us had a blast learning a new skill!

At the beach, we made the most of our time in the sun! We went swimming, found even more friendships, and even played some volleyball in the water. A few students helped their peers learn how to swim! Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean we stop learning! :)

After a couple of hours at the beach, we made the trip in kayaks back to the landing area, and then we headed up to a shady hill to eat our picnic lunch. There was a cute little restaurant at the top where some students bought cold drinks or ice cream treats to cool off after our sunny morning. Finally, we headed back to Madrid around 3:30. After a long day, most of us went home to rest, but some of us went straight to parks and plazas to make the most of the time with friends. We wished this day would never end!

Looking forward to seeing you all back home...but not before we make a few more fun memories during our last week in Madrid ;)

See you soon!

HSSA Madrid